Spirit Guides

Traditionally, all self-respecting shamans have a spirit guide to aid them in the exploration of mysteries and whatnot.  However, this being the era of urban magic, the spirit guide, like the shaman has evolved.  No longer does the guide manifest in the form of an animal, a voice, a whisper in the mist, a glowing light in the darkness or so on.  The guide itself is molded from the psyche of the shaman that summons it, and in this era of 24-hour broadcasting and tabloid journalism, you are as likely to find a shaman being guided by the voice of Terry Wogan or the spirit of Scooby Doo as you are to catch any beatific spirit leading the march through the nether reaches of imagination.

Needless to say, most shamans keep this a secret, as it does no good to their street cred at all to admit that their consciousness is shaped so strongly by daytime TV.